Just In Time
by Empty Scribbles
Summary: Post Season 6x10 AU, past the flash forward where Dan travels back in time.
1. Chapter 1

_I believe this may have been done before, but this AU has always been in my head for a perfect post season 6 fic. Dan travels back in time, but the best part is that he's not the same person anymore. He's post season 6 Dan, which makes things more interesting. _

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><p>His marriage of 15 years with Serena ends shortly after dinner, on a late summer afternoon. The kids are outside, playing badminton with Aunt Blair. He hears them gasping for air and shrieking in excitement out on the backyard, driving all the crickets away. All the while their mother is standing beneath the dim ceiling light of the dining room, behind the shadows, trembling underneath.<p>

"What will happen to the kids?" She whispers, through her shaky congested voice. They've been at it for some time now and the only thing he can conclude is that the two are better off without each other.

Dan presses his lips together and folds his arms across his chest. "We'll have to wait and see on what the judge decides"

"I won't let you take them away from me!" Serena growls and pounds hand onto the dark mahogany table, leaving the leftover plates to jump up and rattle.

"You don't want them anyway!" Dan shouts back. He places his hand on the table and curls his fingers around the tablecloth, feeling his neck pulse.

"What is going on here?" Blair asks, jumping into the deep and thick tension as she approaches through the doorway connected to the foyer. "The kids can hear you"

"I'm staying at a hotel tonight" Serena announces and storms past them, up the staircase.

"Take all the time you need!" Dan yells out, watching her ascend up the staircase.

His eyes then fall to Blair Waldorf, his wife's so called best friend. They were friends once, but that is nothing but a fable now. A story his children's mother likes to share when one of them comes across his first novel.

The brunette stares at him, dark curls draped over her bare creamy skinned shoulders, with the sound of Serena rummaging through things upstairs. Blair is not one to intervene anymore. Dan has given her everything that is his; his wife, his children, his home.

Serena was deeply saddened to hear of Blair's divorce. He spent nights listening to Serena whisper the nasty details of Blair's failed marriage, as they lay on their bed, waiting for the sun to rise. Serena decided to take action and care for childhood friend shortly after. They knew Blair didn't have much family and welcomed her in as the new member of their household.

Her thin bony ring-less fingers wrap around the thick wood railing, but her attention remains on him. "Money has really changed you"

His eyes drop to the shiny russet floorboards of the foyer. She doesn't give him time to respond, as he hears her climb up the staircase to comfort Serena. But he's used to it by now. They share very few words nowadays.

* * *

><p><em>I used you as leverage with Chuck. I was waiting for him to be ready for me.<em>

It recites in his head, over and over. The thought that he never stood a chance hurts more than just a simple preference. How bleak has his life become that he runs old conversations over and over in his head. He sighs and takes a sip from the mug of steaming coffee.

"Hello Dan"

He stares up and sees a petite teenage brunette behind the shadows of the entrance. She has the same creamy complexion of her mother and a small well aligned nose gifted by the gods. Her carmine red ravenous lips slowly curl into a smirk as she takes a step from the darkness and into the light.

"It's Mr. Humphrey to you doll" Dan says.

She grabs a stool to join him by the counter, in the kitchen. His eyes try to refrain from dipping down to her thin spaghetti strap dress as traces of peach catch his nose.

She leers with her doe eyes. "Do you mind if I join you Dan?"

"Chloe" Dan warns, jaw clenching tightly

"What?" She reels back, feigning pure innocence.

"You should be with your mother" Dan murmurs and stares at the small Degas painting of ballerinas. He hates that fucking painting. It's going to be the first thing to go after he kicks Serena out.

"The funny thing is that she's here" Chloe tells him and he suddenly looks over. She arches a brow, small thin lips fighting not to curl.

"You don't realize what you've done" Dan says and shakes his head.

"Don't you understand?" A crease forms in-between her brows, face scrunched in disbelief. "She deserves this and I can't believe you were going to let her get away with it"

Dan turns his head away from her. "You're just like your mother. You don't think when you're angry. You just want to inflict pain"

"I'll take that as a compliment" Chloe replies smugly and swiftly grabs the coffee mug to take a sip.

"Don't-" He attempts to pry it away from her hands.

"Mmmmm….Vodka!" She wiggles her brows and slides the mug back to Dan. "This is a cause for celebration, no need to hide the alcohol"

He stares at her, feeling slight warmth growing in his eyes. "You're too young to understand"

"All my life I have asked you what the deal with _Inside_ was, but you always waved it off, telling me to stop being such a persistent nag" She leans in, and her features harden as the smirk disappears. "So I did what you asked and ignored the drinking and long stares. But you cannot lie to me anymore and pretend this shamble of a marriage is worth saving"

"So what? I should dump Serena with the kids and marry your mother so you can live out your stupid fantasy" Dan questions, staring at her incredulously. "You may prove to be smarter than all of us with your antics and schemes, but you still dream like a spoiled little brat"

Her fingers curl into a fist. "I don't dream, I make things happen"

"Chloe" Blair calls, leaving Chloe's doe eyes to bulge out "What are you doing up so late?"

Her voice still sends a tingling sensation up his spine. He wishes he could erase her from his brain. Maybe he wouldn't need the saving Chloe claims he desperately seeks.

"Nothing" Chloe turns around the stool, smile ear to ear, like a little angel. "Just comforting Uncle Dan here"

Blair folds her arms across her chest. "Upstairs" She then glares. "Now!"

"But mooooooooom" Chloe whines and slumps her shoulders.

"Chloe, I don't want to hear it" Blair replies and places her hand on her hip. "After what you pulled today, you should be thanking the stars Dan is still speaking to you"

"Fine" She huffs and hops off the stool, pouting her lips as she drags herself out of the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry Dan" Blair apologizes and takes Chloe's stool to sit by him. "Obviously my daughter doesn't understand boundaries"

He wants to laugh, so badly. How can Blair expect her daughter to be any different? But that's what makes her so endearing and alluring to him. She has the power to rid the pain and sorrow of his marriage.

She places her hand on his thigh, leaving his brows to furrow in deep confusion, as his eyes skim over her face.

"I didn't know Dan, I swear"

He feels a lump form in his throat. "Would it matter if you did?"

"I would've told you" Blair answers softly.

He doesn't want to believe her. It can't be true. They rarely exchange words and are merely forced upon acquaintances. Serena has become the vine that binds them.

"You shouldn't be here" Dan whispers, feeling the heat of her warm skin. "Serena's alone…And you're not supposed to be nice to me"

"I don't want to go" She confesses.

He lifts his eyes up to see her staring, and smiling nervously, her silver heart shaped necklace teasing along the neckline of her dark green half sleeve blouse. She places her hand on top of his, and he thinks he must be dreaming.

"You don't want to go?" He repeats slowly, thinking saying it twice may make it more real.

She nods and stares into his eyes. "I want to stay here with you"

His fingers curl tighter around hers, feeling the desperation of not losing her once again. He's spent the past twenty years longing for her, watching his Blair change and transform into someone the Upper East Side didn't recognize anymore. None of it mattered to him, because she was always there, under his skin, beating along his heart.

Blair chews on her bottom lip, as her eyes fall down, hair falling over her face. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like if I fell in love with you first…Before Chuck"

Dan blinks and huffs out a breath of disbelief. "Wouldn't that be something?"

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><p>He figures he isn't in Connecticut anymore when he wakes up to the sound of construction and traffic. When he sits up on the bed, and looks around, he quickly realizes he's in his father's Brooklyn loft. The strangest thing about it is how old the model of the laptop on the desk is.<p>

His phone vibrates and he picks it up off the dresser to see a Gossip Girl blast.

"What the hell?" Dan murmurs as he rubs his eye.

No, he is definitely not in Connecticut anymore. The last thing he remembers is drinking with Blair in their kitchen, and teasing each other about high school.

He grabs his old cellphone once again and checks the date.

_November 2, 2007_

Looks like he needs to prepare for his first date with Serena.


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm so sorry for not updating in a while, but life has been keeping me busy. I hope people are still out there reading. This story may be hard to follow, because there are two different timelines throughout the story and if you are confused, or if something doesn't make sense, don't worry because it will in the end. Also, Dan is not Gossip Girl. I just couldn't do it. _

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><p><strong>December 10, 2015<strong>

He hates how his skin feels like it's shattering when he sets foot outside the airport and into the freezing wind chill. Not too long after Blair's wedding, he moved into Serena's Upper Eastside home. His agent proposed a move to the sunny west coast, and he's been sitting on it ever since.

When the elevator to their penthouse opens, he hears Serena's mother through the men hanging up the snowflake chandelier up on the ceiling and muffles an annoyed groan from escaping his lips.

He finds them sitting hip to hip on the white sofa bed, looking through the pictures of their trip to Dubai on Serena's tablet. They agreed on having a party as a couple for friends. His sister Jenny should be around as well, helping with the finishing touches for their party.

Serena has the most well thought of, exclusive parties, and he's glad to be a part of them. An invitation to meet her circle is one of the perks of being her boyfriend he's found. His new connections have led to experiences he's been able to transfer into writing and thankfully he isn't only writing about Blair anymore.

"Dan, I must say this looks like it was an amazing trip" Lily admires. "You two make such a gorgeous couple" She then scrunches her nose cutely, and smiles at Serena.

He meets Serena's eyes, and sees the desire she has for him in that moment. Something about Lily complimenting him always turns her on. It's one of Serena's many secret fetishes; having something her mother can't.

"Oh my god"

Serena clasps her hands excitedly, eyes wide in excitement with a grin that many envy.

"What?" Dan chuckles lightly.

She stands up and curls her arm around Dan's, barley able to contain her excitement. "You're here and we're going to be throwing party as a couple"

Dan lips curl in amusement as he turns his head to meet her blue eyes. The winter has ruined her beautiful tan shade, although she still remains something close to perfection. Her blue eyes seem to grow the longer they stare and he feels out of breath suddenly.

"S! A little help here!" Jenny shouts from the kitchen.

The fire alarm rings and the smell of something burning consume his nostrils.

She grabs the yellow striped apron off the coffee table and scurries over to the kitchen while tying the apron around her yellow strapless dress.

It leaves him with Lily and an unsettling feeling washes over him. There is always an issue they were never aware of floating over their heads and Serena's mother had a knack for being behind it. His jaw clenches tightly and a lump forms in his throat. He stands there idly, waiting on the cold hearted witch.

"I finished your book last night" She finally says, breaking the silence between them.

Her eyes narrow, giving him a death stare. Being around the Rhode's women web of lies is poisoning, but he's learned the grass isn't much greener anywhere else.

He puts his hands up in defense. "It's important to remember that it's a work of fiction"

"I consider myself to be a woman of very high intellect, so please do not talk down to me"

His eyes widen and a sinking feeling begins to form in his chest. "Lily, please consider it as a work of art and nothing else"

"Art?" She mocks and presses a hand on her chest. "No Daniel, we call this trash"

He swallows hard, trying to hide his slight dejection. He tries to remind himself that it is her way of gaining leverage. The last thing he considers it is trash. Maybe he did indeed write a character inspired by Serena as someone artificially beautiful. There was also a part in the book where the protagonist admits he thinks she dresses slutty to his friends. However, when he wrote it, he understood it wouldn't be taken well by the Rhode's women. He never ever meant to write about Serena, but it just naturally happened that way.

"Just tell me one thing" She requests and he lifts his eyes to meet hers. "Are you having an affair?"

He does his best to appear flabbergasted with her accusation. Acting is something he has picked up on residing in the circles of Manhattan's elite. He's become the biggest phony he knows, but the change has left him with more desolation.

"With who?" He asks as a crease forms in-between his brows.

"I can't tell" Lily answers bitterly, staring at him straight in the eyes, fearless as ever. "You left out details and the lack of description leaves the mistress's identity a mystery"

"I'm not having an affair" He tells her, meeting her eyes. "And I hope that you will bring some positive energy to the party tonight. I can speak for Serena when I say your behavior right now is unacceptable"

His threat finally shuts her up, as her lips press tightly and she lies back on the sofa. He gives her dirty look before straightening out the jacket of his two piece suit, and heading for the kitchen, with his polished dress shoes clicking against the marble.

When his phone vibrates, he reaches for his pocket and sees a text.

_When can I see you?_

He deletes the text before poking his head through to the large open-concept kitchen. The girls are plating the food on the island, underneath the three mini pendants and it appears the smoke from earlier has cleared. One of the things he loves most about Serena is that she prefers home cooked meals to catering. However, with the expected guests only growing, they decided to add some catering in as well just so Serena wouldn't be overwhelmed.

A smile becomes of his lips when he sees that his girlfriend and sister are wearing matching aprons. They both seem rather happy. Jenny has already given him her blessing to propose. She keeps on insisting Serena is the so called _one_.

He almost loses balance when someone brushes past his shoulder roughly, ruining his long gaze.

Blair looks over her shoulder and glares as she walks past him. "Get out of the way, Humphrey"

"Who invited you?"

He can't help it. She drives him mad.

Like always, she's dressed to precision. Her whole ensemble goes together. The chest of her thin strap dress is glittery gold, but the rest is black, with the remaining dress hovering just above her knees. She can thank god for the heated floor he supposes.

She places her white pearl necklace in-between her fingers as her doe eyes shoot daggers.

"Dan, be nice" Serena reprimands and warns him with her eyes.

It's not fair Serena always manages to jump in. His lips purse as he watches the brunette glare defiantly in his direction.

"I should go" He says and flickers his eyes over to Serena.

"Where?" She stares at him surprised and slightly concerned.

"The team wants to go over the numbers since the release" He tells her and then coyly rubs the back of his neck with his hand. "And I wanted to write…I feel inspired"

She places a curled fist onto her slim waist, and taps her heel impatiently, as she stares and thinks. Finally, she sighs and her shoulders slump.

"Just please be here before it starts" She pleads.

He nods, enthused he won't be doing any manual labor for the party. He then cups her face with both hands before kissing her on the lips and leaving their place.

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><p>So he lied about meeting with his publishing team. Instead, he tightens the scarf around his neck and hails a cab to the Waldorf penthouse, where Eleanor Waldorf still resides. Before leaving for Paris, mother Waldorf thought it would best to schedule him for a visit.<p>

A nostalgic feeling runs through him when the elevator stops and the foyer to the Waldorf penthouse lies before him. It's hard to remember the last time he'd been there, mostly because he's been trying to forget. He doesn't stand around to take it in, rather, he heads straight for the office, thinking how lonely it must be for Eleanor with Cyrus waiting for her in Paris.

When he swings by the office, he peers through to see Eleanor focused on the task at hand. Her brows are furrowed in deep concentration as she flips through the pink sketchbook. When he clears his throat, she lifts her eyes and a welcoming smile appears before him. He can't help but meet her smile as well. Things have changed over the years and new allies have been made.

She greets him with a kiss and hug, and he can feel his heart grow warm.

"How was your trip?" Eleanor asks and gestures him over to the black leather chair in front of her desk.

"It was good. We finished on the renovations" He answers and takes a seat.

The first thing he did with his money was buy a house in Lake Como. It's always been a dream of his, living a life of romance outside America. As a child, he had a poster of an elegant faceless couple in his room, looking out of the terrace and into a lake that always reminded him of Lake Como. Of course it is very difficult to own property there, as most have to rent, but Serena was able to sway a homeowner to sell.

She leans back and stares, the corner of her lips curling. She's shared with him on multiple occasion of how amusing she finds him.

He tells her about his trip, and she listens, chimes in when she feels necessary, and even laughs at his unfamiliarity with the Italian culture. Serena has been teaching along the way, now that he has enough money to travel freely, but he still feels he has much to learn.

However, the mood shifts sooner rather than later when the laughing dies down and he's left with the look of deep sorrow. He's reminded he isn't there to tell her about his trip. She reaches for her drawer and places his new novel on the desk, fingers running through the letters of the crisp golden title.

"This one was very different"

"I wasn't very happy with Serena" He says lamely.

"I figured" She replies dryly.

"Um…" He shifts in his chair uncomfortably and readjusts himself. "As you know, I wasn't emotionally ready to be in relationship when I started dating Serena. But things have changed for the better and I think our relationship has never been stronger"

"I understand and that's why I brought you here" She sighs sadly and folds her fingers together, over his book. "Are you able to keep a secret?"

He nods in response and watches her stare down, avoiding his eyes. He figures it's big when the words aren't leaving her mouth. She has never been afraid to speak her mind, and the thought that she's having trouble is quite a frightening sight.

"Lily has shared with me that Serena was recently pregnant… but um…now she is no longer" Eleanor manages to say before closing her eyes in disappointment.

"I don't understand?" He leans in, feeling his voice break for the first time in a long time.

"I'm very sorry for revealing something so terrible, but you've been sharing a bed with this person and I thought you deserved to know" Eleanor explains and places her hand on top of his.

It's hard to say he knows who to believe because he's learned everyone in the Upper East Side has an ulterior motive. And yet he wouldn't put it past Lily convincing Serena.

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><p>Eleanor leaves, with the hired help rolling her luggage along into the elevator, leaving him alone in the abandoned Waldorf residence. With his hands in his pockets, he thinks and thinks, searching for the right answer.<p>

He hears the elevator ding and looks over to see Blair Waldorf entering the foyer, holding an up to no good smile.

"Hello Humphrey"

He checks his watch and frowns. "I should head back to help Serena"

"Nonsense" She waves him off and walks past him up the staircase. "I have to show you something"

"What is it?" He asks his eyes trail up from her legs to her hips swaying as she continues to climb up the staircase.

"It's a surprise" She sings and he thinks he even hears her hum.

His curiosity wins over and he follows her up all the way to her bedroom.

"Blair, I don't think this is a good idea. Your mom jus-"

It turns out she's looking for trouble. She pushes him on the bed, and he falls back, a little surprised by her force. She shushes before he can finish, one finger on his lips and he suddenly gets lost as the scent of her hair shampoo trails up his nose. Dam her and her perfectly shiny dark chocolate curls.

He always dreamed of her crawling back to him, laying out the perfect opportunity for him to tell her to shove it. However, she did indeed come crawling back to him one night, long before Henry's birth. She cried and even begged when he turned her advances down. It was more difficult than he had ever imagined. Seeing her plead made his heart feel weak and it was then he realized how much he still loved her.

"Serena thinks I'm happy with Chuck" She tells him and pouts her lips.

"Your friendship is pathetic" He replies, lifting himself up to watch her.

"Tell me about it" She sighs and begins slipping the thin strap off her shoulder, leaving her creamy skin bare.

"I shouldn't be doing this" Dan says, sounding awfully distracted. Her dress drops to the floor, pooling around her feet, leaving him breathless at the sight of her tight thin black corset.

He falls back on the bed, and shuts his eyes. She makes his heart race. He has been trying to escape her, but she always manages to pull him back. He hasn't felt anything like being with her. He wishes he could get over her, but the only resolution would be moving away, and he doesn't think leaving the city to move on is worth not feeling love for her.

Her lips are on his, eyes shut, and before he knows it, he hears a _click_. It gets him hard, real hard.

She pulls her lips away when both of his wrists are handcuffed to her headboard, out of breath. "Did you follow my instructions?"

He shuts his eyes, trying to breathe steadily as he feels her fingers underneath his jacket. Abstinence was her order. When he left the city, he promised Blair he wouldn't even masturbate. The hardest part had been not having sex with Serena the week he was leaving. It caused quite a rift between them and now he's wondering if he fucked everything up.

What he likes most about Blair is that she's always coming up with something new to spice things up, even though sometimes he thinks she's crazy and unreasonable with her requests. The handcuffs leave him vulnerable, and with very little dignity, but he understands it's something Blair gets off on.

He loves it when she's demanding and likes to take control. Dan has always been more of an appeaser.

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><p><strong>November 7 2007<strong>

Sure, he should be thinking about getting back, but he doesn't really know what he's going back to. He can't remember feeling this alive being married to Serena for all those years. It's a reset button, and for someone gifted by a greater power, he must take advantage of finally having the part of him that was missing. Serena is the key to being on the inside, and using her is just his way of making things right. If he's learned anything from living through his life, it's that Blair belongs with him.

He looks through his closet, seeking something nice to wear. He may need a new wardrobe because there is no way a teenage Blair would approve. He picks out a white slim fit dress shirt and does best with what he has to work with. Dan remembers picking out clothes blindly at this age. Looking good was something he found more appealing during later years.

After showering and getting changed, he joins the rest of his family out in the kitchen counter for breakfast. He finds Jenny absorbed on her phone while his father gestures him over to the empty stool.

"Morning" Dan greets and grabs an apple from the basket in the middle of the island countertop.

"Are you sure you're prepared to show your face in school?" Jenny questions, lips quirked in amusement as she remains entrenched in her phone.

A crease forms in-between his brows. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Jenny glances over and arches a brow. "Uh, did you forget what happened last night?"

Yes, he remembers it quite vividly actually. His lack of experience with the female gender caused him to make a fool of himself. He should've grown a pair and kissed Serena, but instead they were left with more of an awkward goodbye.

None of this matters because he knows the outcome. Serena is and will always be in love with him.

"Don't worry, I have a plan" Dan smirks.

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><p>There is only one way to make the most of his second chance at happiness. He has a plan and that plan entails of making a visit to the MET steps before class in the morning. He proceeds up the steps, all the way up until he's hovering over the girls, minions, a gorgeous blonde, and a queen. He's kind of losing his vision when he lays eyes on a beautiful teenage Blair, headband and all. It has been too long and part of him wants to cry.<p>

She stares at him unimpressed, like who the hell is he to be on her steps. A smirk then forms on his lips and the two best friends stare back at each other for a minute before coming back to him. God does he ever love being back in school.


End file.
